Extraordinary Staircases

A study in simplicity, this birch stairway in the contemporary Hudson Valley getaway of art-world couple Mary and Sean Kelly appears to hover between the walls. The passageway, conceived by architect Toshiko Mori, features a clean recessed handrail. (November 2011)

Photo: William Waldron

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In a home in São Paulo, architect Isay Weinfeld chose to envelop a staircase in the family room with a bleached hardwood. The rough timber adds character and warmth to the contemporary space. (November 2011)

Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo

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At his French estate, Château de Wideville, couturier Valentino Garavani transformed a former dovecote into a Chinese-themed folly. Early-19th-century ancestor portraits line the painted-metal balustrade, whose handmade fretwork incorporates the Chinese symbol for longevity. (October 2012)

Photo: Simon Watson

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Serene hues add a sense of comfort to the formal entrance hall of a Shingle Style residence on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Interior designer Elissa Cullman worked with architect Mark P. Finlay to fashion the relaxed retreat for a couple from New England. The classic paneled stairway, which leads to the great room, has a runner by Elizabeth Eakins and paintings by Sarah Hinckley. (July 2007)

A glass-enclosed courtyard provides a rustic setting for the new main stairwell in the historic farmhouse that architect Benedikt Bolza reimagined for his family in Umbria, Italy. (February 2013)

Photo: Simon Watson

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Drew and Rachel Katz enlisted decorator Ernest de la Torre and architect Edward Siegel to renovate their penthouse in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. A focal point of the home is a shimmering light-filled staircase that spans three levels to a rooftop terrace. For the walls, De la Torre­ enlarged the pattern on an antique Korean screen—inspired by the river, clouds, and cherry blossoms—and commissioned de Gournay to paint it on gilded wallpaper. (August 2013)

Photo: Pieter Estersohn

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Fashion entrepreneurs Louise and Vince Camuto restored Villa Maria—a storied 15-acre estate in Water Mill, New York—to its 1920s splendor. The couple worked with Andre Tchelistcheff Architects and CarolEgan Interiors to rebuild the structure, which had most recently served as a spiritual center for Roman Catholic nuns. An intricate wrought-iron handrail adds interest to the entrance hall, whose faux-limestone walls were crafted by decorative painter Jerzy Kubina. (July 2013)

Photo: Scott Frances

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Inspired by the early-1900s trellised spaces of legendary decorator Elsie de Wolfe, retired ad executive Peter Rogers created a vibrant garden room at his home in New Orleans’s French Quarter. Richard Avedon and Bill King photographs from Blackglama ads that Rogers worked on line the staircase, which is dressed up with a leopard-print runner by Stark. (May 2013)

Photo: Eric Piasecki

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A stone wall provides the perfect backdrop for the black-walnut staircase in the double-height living room of an Aspen, Colorado, retreat designed by Studio Sofield and Studio B Architects. The glass-and-bronze balustrade adds interest without detracting from the wood. (January 2013)

A sculptural oak-and-burnished-steel staircase leads to the mezzanine master bedroom in designer and antiques dealer Richard Shapiro’s beach house in Malibu, California. Architect Douglas Burdge helped him create a retreat with “the look, age, and aura of a very old, windswept structure from the Mediterranean or the Aegean,” says Shapiro. (April 2011)

Mirrors and silk fabric add glamour to a stairway in hotelier Steve Wynn’s Las Vegas residence, which was designed by architects DeRuyter Butler and Glen Ashworth along with interior designer Roger Thomas. The purpose was “to introduce the living and dining areas and to provide a dramatic access to the master suite on the second level,” Thomas says. (November 2010)

Photo: Mary E. Nichols

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The dramatic concrete staircase in the building that houses Diane von Furstenberg’s New York penthouse and corporate headquarters was designed by architecture firm WORKac. A curtain of steel cables with Swarovski crystals reflects light. (March 2012)

Photo: François Halard

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In the hall of a Martha’s Vineyard residence by architect Oscar Shamamian and designer Victoria Hagan, the floor, staircase, and beadboard paneling are of American white oak. Single-arm sconces from Circa Lighting illuminate the curved stairwell. (February 2011)

Photo: Scott Frances

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To unify a disjointed Manhattan penthouse, interior designer Delphine Krakoff conceived this unique snaking plaster staircase, which was realized by architect Mark Ferguson of Ferguson & Shamamian. The stairwell—a work of art in and of itself—serves as a display area for some of the clients’ modern pieces. (May 2011)

Photo: Eric Piasecki

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A circular skylight illuminates this floating stair designed by architect Mark Rios for TV producer Darren Star’s Los Angeles residence. The work at left is by Dave Muller. Rios worked alongside decorator Waldo Fernandez to “make the place cleaner, hipper, and more unified in its design language,” says Rios. (March 2012)

Photo: Roger Davies

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For the Bridgehampton, New York, home that he shares with his extended family, decorator Alex Papachristidis wanted to create a warm and relaxed environment inside the formal cedar-clad structure. Papachristidis crafted a welcoming entrance hall with hand-stenciled flooring by Optical Grays and Rose Tarlow Melrose House wallpaper. A gilt lantern hovers above the stairwell, which features framed prints and a patterned runner that softens the space. (November 2012)

Photo: William Waldron

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Architect Savin Couëlle worked around the large boulders on the island of Cavallo, off Corsica, to sculpt a rustic house that’s one with the coast. Couëlle brought in a team of artisans to produce one-of-a-kind features, including this free-form staircase with a painted-metal railing. A wrought-iron star adds visual interest to the circular window, while a piece of driftwood on the landing adds to the organic feeling of the space. (October 2006)

Photo: Giancarlo Gardin

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Travertine stairs appear to float next to an ebony-paneled wall in the gallery of a Manhattan duplex designed by architect Carlos Aparicio. A Roman togatus statue and 1924 gold-leafed murals by José María Sert offset the modernity of the staircase. (April 2011)

Photo: William Abranowicz

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Inspired by Greek temples and French manor houses, decorator Genevieve Faure conceived a peaceful oceanfront estate for a European couple in the Dominican Republic. An enclosed spiral staircase in the pool tower anchors the space. (July 2011)

Photo: Oberto Gili

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Architect David Mann envisioned an expansive Manhattan duplex for Darcy Miller Nussbaum and her family with functional spaces and glittering accents. A double-height entry hall got a luxe makeover with a dramatic gray onyx floor and staircase, which features an antiqued-brass-and-silver railing; the pendant light is by Hervé Van der Straeten. (February 2012)

Photo: Nikolas Koenig

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In fashion designer Stefano Pilati’s Paris duplex, architect Bruno Caron fashioned a handsome staircase that leads from the master bedroom down to a bath and dressing area. The alcove underneath is used as a chic seating area with velvet-covered paneling, a terra-cotta Venus from the 19th century, and a floor lamp from the Marché Paul Bert. (March 2013)

Photo: Björn Wallander

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Situated on a hill overlooking southern Chile’s Lake Caburga, a weekend retreat designed by architect Juan Sabbagh and decorated by Santiago-based Paula Gutierrez Erlandsen features an open concept with glass walls that afford expansive views of the surrounding landscape. The spiral stair leading from the basement to the second floor is dramatically perched on the side of the structure, offering a unique perspective of the water. (August 2004)